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25.01.2022 Time-saving electrical tip

24.01.2022 Hello! I'm Dallas Swan. I am a qualified Diesel Mechanic operating out of Roma, Queensland. But servicing South West Queensland as a mobile mechanic. I've done most of my training in Alberta Canada as a Red Seal Heavy Duty Mechanic. Which means I'm trained in transport trailer mobile plant technology heavy commercial vehicle mechanical technology... off-road construction equipment on-highway heavy vehicle auto-electrical is part of the Alberta qualifications as well. Plus I'm a qualified air-conditioning service and repair man. Keeping you cool on those 40+ degree days! And I know, that all sounds very technical and fancy but it means I can take care of all your agricultural, construction, on-highway and lawn and garden equipment needs. So give me a call or shoot me a message if you have any questions or need your machine up and running again.

24.01.2022 Hey there Kitty Cat let's get tracking! Replacing tracks and undercarriage components don't have to be a chore. If you find yourself in need don't hesitate to call

22.01.2022 Happy Easter Everyone !! Holidays can mean time for a road trip to see family and friends. Often, there is so much happening that the car doesn't get a once over. I thought this would be a good time to give some pointers. In preparation for a road trip, you can check a few things to make the journey better:... Check and top up the windscreen washer bottle. I prefer to add Bars bug wash as I find it cleans well. Check the washers and wipers. One silly thing I do often, is to wash the windscreen at the service station and lift the wipers and wash them also. The reason is because they sit in the sun and the rubber bakes down, then the first time you use them they only smear the bugs. Next is your tyre pressures. Setting your pressures to the manufactures specs (located inside one of the door frames or in the owners manual), can help with fuel economy, pulling, and some annoying vibrations. Run your hand across the tread and see if it feels smooth or uneven. Be careful not to scratch your hand on a lodges rock or debris. Checking the engine oil, and having a look underneath the vehicle for any oil leaks is good. If you find anything that looks unusual then you can have a mechanic take a peek or take a picture and message me for an opinion. Under the hood on the firewall (wall nearest to the cabin) there will be a reservoir for the brakes. Now this level can be used as a gauge to judge how much brake you have left. You should never add to it unless you have had a leak, or you just had new brakes installed and it is low. And if you have a manual transmission, you might find another small reservoir for the clutch. Same rule applies as the brakes and the level. These both take brake fluid but refer to the owners manual to choose correctly. Have a look at the belt(s) and check for cracks (really shiny spots).This could indicate some service may be required. Start the car with the hood open and listen for squeaks and other odd noises. These could be signs of worn parts, again you could get a mechanic to have a listen or send me an audio for an opinion. It is a good thing to check your lights and make sure all the indicators and headlights are working. It helps avoid accidents and costly defects from the police. I hope you all have wonderful fun filled safe travels, filled with great safe motoring fun!

21.01.2022 I had a great conversation with another experienced mechanic the other day. Our topic was engines and their sound. Hands down there is nothing like the bark and growl of a V8 engine. A V6 won't give the rumble or the rap when revved. An inline engine just makes noise but has no soul. A V10, V12, and V16 all sound powerful, but have no thump. These are 4 stroke (cycle) engines, which means that it takes two revolutions of the crankshaft to fire all the cylinders once. So this... means that 360 degrees (1 turn) plus 360 degrees is 720 degrees. Taking 720 and dividing by 8 (cylinders) equals 90 degrees. Now all that silly maths is behind us, what it means is there is a power impulse and an exhaust impulse every 90 degrees. This gives us that unmistakable sound. So there you have it, no massive secret but maybe and explanation why your car doesn't sound they way you want it to. See more

21.01.2022 What it means when your cylinder rod is really shiny. And a quick tip to help fix it.

20.01.2022 Hello! I'm Dallas Swan. I am a qualified Diesel Mechanic operating out of Roma. But servicing South West Queensland as a mobile mechanic. I've done most of my training in Alberta Canada as a Red Seal Heavy Duty Mechanic. Which means I'm trained in transport trailer... mobile plant technology heavy commercial vehicle mechanical technology off-road construction equipment on-highway heavy vehicle auto-electrical is part of the Alberta qualifications as well. Plus I'm a qualified air-conditioning service and repair man. Keeping you cool on those 40+ degree days! And I know, that all sounds very technical and fancy but it means I can take care of all your agricultural, construction, on-highway and lawn and garden equipment needs. So give me a call or shoot me a message if you have any questions or need your machine up and running again.

20.01.2022 Computer got you down?

19.01.2022 Small engine cylinder head resurfacing.

19.01.2022 As the old saying goes! Big Bud 16V 747 is still so impressive having a 16 cylinder engine and held 3800 litres of fuel and weighed 61363 kg (135000 lb) had a fuel usage probably expressed as metres per litre But oh my, could he pull! An 80 foot cultivator at 8 mph working 1 acre per min!

19.01.2022 JCB 4cx backhoe

18.01.2022 Cutting edge cracks

18.01.2022 Horsepower Let's talk a little more about engines before we explore other systems. As any young apprentice I remember that engines were the prized reward to get to work on! So the bigger the horsepower (hp), the better right?... Did you know hp is calculated using weight and time? So 1 hp is calculated as lifting 550 lbs 1 foot in 1 second. When an engine is tested on a dynamometer (dyno), hp is just a calculation from the engine torque and speed at the moment of testing (condensed version of a boring calculation). So as the old saying goes, "There is no replacement for displacement". Simply put, the bigger the engine the bigger the potential power. So a better figure to talk about is torque. The simplest way of explaining what these numbers mean is, torque is how much work the engine can do and hp is how fast it can do it. I will further explain this in coming posts. Make sure you're following and you select "See First".

17.01.2022 I jumped the gun when talking before the video started recording. I was saying how nice it was to have a manufaturer give an easy way to check the coolant ( It's a good thing I don't make a living in the media world.... might be looking for a new job after this whoopsy)

17.01.2022 This past weekend was the Roma Show! The early bird gets the worm I've been told. So I thought, Why not get my Ute to the entrance of the show to do a little bit of advertising? Well like most of my recent fishing trips, only a few cards, magnets, and flyers were taken but thanks for having a look! The show was great and worth the entrance fee, as there were so many good exhibits to see. Sadly though, no more long weekends till October

17.01.2022 Handy experience tip An older mechanic once taught me about wire rope (cable) and winches. I have used this little nugget of knowledge several times since. If you have a winch that rolls up in a mess like the one shown, and wonder how to get it like that smooth spool like the other picture, try this. It's quite easy to set yourself up for success. ... But first thing's first... safety! I know right, we try to be pretty safe already but getting a wire splinter hurts twice, once when it happens and second for a tetanus shot . So decent leather gloves and safety glasses are needed. Now you are set right? Almost. You need: A heavy weight to keep your cable under tension while it is reeled in, or a second person (who is also equipped with safety gear) and a hammer that will fit in the winch opening. 1) Now freewheel the winch out fully (if you are using new cable, even better). 2) Hook your weight or have your assistant hold tension on the rope. 3) Now start reeling the winch into the drum and as it wraps around the drum hit it with the hammer. Keeping the cable to track correctly at this moment is tricky so be patient . Let's say the cable is reeling from right to left to start with, you hit from the left on as close to a 45 degree angle as possible. Also if the hammer doesn't fit, you can use a large drift. 4) Then continue through hitting and reeling until the wire rope is fully reeled in. That's it Now you can try it and remember to hold tension on it. From now on it will follow the memory you just gently instilled in it (I know I remember when someone knocks me into place...) Happy winching!

16.01.2022 A Few Facts About Me - just for a bit of fun on a Monday Favourite cuisine to eat: Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings Karaoke song: Fuel by Metallica (but it's unlikely you'd ever see me doing karaoke )... Favourite sport to play: ice hockey Early bird or night owl: Neither... I'm not really a night owl anymore, but don't get up too quickly either. Tell me I'm not alone! Best way to spend a Sunday arvo: cruisy BBQ and beers with friends or family Next place I want to visit: Fiji Best advice I've ever been given: learn as much as you can coz knowledge doesn't weigh much to carry around with you. Someone I've always looked up to: My Mom because of how hard she worked. Your turn comment below, What's your favourite equipment to operate?

16.01.2022 Yamaha Viking drive clutch maintenance: What to do

16.01.2022 Guess what I got today... A trailer to carry more products to do larger jobs. And be a more versatile mechanic for my remote customers. It needs a few enhancements, so pictures to come. Watch this space!

15.01.2022 See Tuesday's post about petrol and octane, so let's dip a little deeper. Geometry(a swear word from school), is the basis of why we have multiple grades of petrol. The optimal time to have the largest "push" from the building pressure of the burning fuel is 23 to 25 degrees after top dead centre. Now if you have ever ridden a bicycle you already know this! When you set the pedals to begin your ride you instinctively put the lead pedal there. The reason for all this crazin...ess is because of the design of the parts, and that we are turning a reciprocating motion into a rotary one. Connecting rod bearings are generally a two-piece design, and there are 2 splits that don't carry a load very well. The geometry comes in here, we need to transfer all that pressure to the crankshaft and not damage the bearings in the process. Timing is key and even the fuel itself can play a large factor in the longevity of an engine. Too early or too late ignition can also cause a variety of different issues. Stay tuned because next time I'll be exploring some of the different types of failures due to poor timing. Comment below with any questions or thoughts you have! Pictured: Piston wear from poor timing.

15.01.2022 Now that the cooler weather has set in, it's a bit harder to get going in the morning, and things are made harder when the car doesn't want to start This is the time when our batteries are really tested. The issue is that the battery has been weakened during the hot summer months and now that the extra power is needed, it just simply isn't there! There are several different styles of battery, from maintenance-free and regular old lead acid. Now, as part of a service the bat...tery SHOULD be checked, cleaned, and tested to help minimise frustrating false starts. If you service your car yourself and don't have test equipment to load test that's okay. ***Caution** whenever working around a vehicle battery PROTECT YOUR EYES! If your battery terminals look dirty or crusty, they need to be cleaned. Using a wire brush and removing the terminals from the battery and dipping them in a water/baking soda mix will work a treat. ***Caution*** do not to spill the water/baking soda mix on the battery as it will ruin the battery. If your battery has screw-tops or two rectangle lids that can be removed, this is where you check the acid level. Clean the area so nothing can fall in. The level is "full" when it's even to the bottom of where the lid protrudes downward when you are looking into it. Distilled water is what you use to top this level up with. Doing these little checks will prolong your battery life and hopefully keep you charged up raring to go!

14.01.2022 I inspected a grader recently and noticed that the blade was starting to crack. See how it's starting to split in the centre? Well this is a sign that the blade has been redone once before. AND it was done improperly. It's had 2 skins and they were joined in the middle. To do this correctly, the entire face of the blade needs to be replaced as 1 piece. They should end with room to weld between the end edge and the skin with a sufficient prepped area. Bisalloy is a great op...tion of material to have rolled if you can't get an OEM replacement. Last tip for getting a good profile match folded. Lay a straight edge vertical on the blade and take depth measurements at 10 mm (3/8") top to bottom. This gives the best profile for replication, as we can't assume that it's an even radius. Hope this comes in handy for you one day Have you seen anything like this before? Or do you have any questions for me?!

14.01.2022 One quick tip for easy maintenance on your air brakes.

12.01.2022 I've talked about petrol (see Tuesday's and Friday's posts),which may seem weird as I am a diesel mechanic. Diesel works much the same as petrol except the rating is called cetane, instead of octane. Much the same as petrol the higher the cetane rating, the more resistant to ignition it is. Summer cetane is generally 50, and winter is around 45. There is not as much choice at the pumps for diesel as this is generally done at the change of season by the manufacturer. Diesel... naturally has waxes in it from the crude oil. In the summer time these waxes are dissolved easily into the fuel, allowing it to pass through the fuel system without creating restriction. As the ambient temperature falls through the autumn and winter the fuel cloud point can be reached. Cloud point is the temperature that the waxes start to solidify. Basically the wax drops out of the fuel into filters and starts to clog them, but also it will deposit everywhere else in the system including the fuel rail. In winter, diesel manufacturers filter the wax out of the fuel, which aids in starting and operation. If you have ever had a diesel lose fuel prime and shut down you know the pain, (and mess/ frustration) that soon follows. There are additives that can be added to diesel to assist with these issues (a post for another time). Generally this is why it's good to run your farm tanks down and get a delivery (if possible) in late June. Next time I will head back into the engine to make all this hoo-hash make sense. Comment below if you have any topics you'd like me to cover.

12.01.2022 Horsepower and Torque - The Fast and the Furious We have talked a bit about horsepower and torque. I have thought of a few good examples to put it in perspective. Think about the race at the end of The Fast and the Furious (#1). Vin Diesel was in 1970 Dodge Charger R/T and Paul Walker was in a 1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse. (Without the actual specs I'm only speculating now, but this is just to give a visual.) ... Both of these cars are high horsepower but the big difference was torque. The Japanese car had Nos and the American Muscle had a root type blower, (we can chat about how these work later). In terms of horsepower, the Charger was much higher and its torque would have been double or even more! I have seen similar races, and can say that this was somewhat accurate to how close they run. So you might ask, how is it possible for the smaller less powerful engine to keep up? The displacement of the engine starts to play a part. The smaller engine has a shorter stroke to complete a revolution of the crankshaft. So speed is a part of it, but this is dependent on internal balance (another great little topic). As in my previous post, horsepower is the speed at which you can do the work. This means the smaller engine with its relatively high horsepower can hit max Rpm very quickly. The Charger does an impressive wheel stand off the line and that is all torque, and the horsepower is what spins the wheels violently. So as it plays out, the two cars end up too close to call a winner. Now why does the bigger engine make more torque? It basically has to do with the mass of the internal components (pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft). The weight and length of the components work together. Just like loosening a rusty bolt, you get a cheater if possible, to increase your output and decrease your input (use a snipe, or double wrench it...oops double Spanner it ). The smaller engine can rev higher, how is this possible? If you have a 20 litre bucket with 2 litres of water in it and you can spin it around upside down and not lose any water. Add another 10 litres and it gets tougher, but the faster you spin it the further your shoulder stretches... I hope this gives a bit of a visual into torque and horsepower but if you have questions feel free to comment or message me.

12.01.2022 Tomorrow (Monday April 1st) I'm going to Surat If you'd like me to check out your equipment while I'm there, give me a call. Happy to stop by and have a chat. Feel free to tag or share with your friends in that area.

10.01.2022 Well wonders never cease, counted a total of 5 remains of broken dipsticks. This oil pan was removed to replace the gasket, it was heavy and awkward but well worth it for the laugh. What's the weirdest or funniest thing you have found out of place recently? Comment below

10.01.2022 Not boosting like you used to? Check out this Turbo Charger.

10.01.2022 From the side of the road to the middle of a paddock, Swan Diesel will be there to support you. Getting you up and going is what I do. While office hours are Monday-Friday 7:30am-5pm, I can do Breakdown Services Any Time. Just have your details ready and I will come to your aid ASAP. If you're broken down, give me a call on 0437 001 313.

09.01.2022 Hydraulic Pump So your tractor won't lift the hydraulics on the implement like it used to and you need it to work coz the rain is on its' way To fix this, what I do is... I test if the pump is faulty or if another problem exists in system. Then if the pump is found faulty, I get the information off the pump and contact my supplier with the details to get a quote for replacement/repair kit cost. Some pumps are not cost effective to rebuild, as the parts and labour can cos...t more than a re-manufactured pump. If the rebuild is likely, we disassemble it to inspect the parts. After assessing the wear/damage, I contact my supplier again to organise a quote for any extra parts. We receive the parts, reassemble, install, test and Bob's your Uncle - Up and running! You will be kept in the loop the whole time, so we minimise delays in getting your machine up and going.

08.01.2022 This has more truth than most people give it credit....

07.01.2022 When I ask, "which fuel is cleaner, regular or premium petrol?", most people say Premium. Hey, I used to think so too, until I learned the truth... which is the opposite. So Premium is used in higher compression engines to combat self ignition. Regular fuel is used in lower compression engines as there is less chance of self ignition. Self ignition or "pinging" is caused when heat from the compression reaches the fuels self ignition temperature, this takes the control out o...f the spark plug and can cause major wear in the lower engine (a topic for another time). Basically the octane rating of fuel means the higher the number, the more resistant it is to ignition. The lower the number, the easier it is to ignite. Think of this, avgas is 100 low lead. So octane of 100 is achieved from the use of lead, which makes it harder to ignite. I've tried it before and lead doesn't really burn. If you want to be really disappointed, try lighting a fire with octane boost, it won't even light with a soldering torch! So if you are storing regular petrol for extended periods, it really needs a fuel stabiliser added. Here in Australia the microbe growth in the fuel is fast and the fuel stabiliser will combat this well. Now we know about the different fuels, next time I'll tell you more about why there's different fuels. Talk soon, Dallas

06.01.2022 ::::: Diesel Mechanic offering the best solution for you ::::: Whether it is a case of getting your machine up and going to finish the day, or a planned complete overhaul. We can find the solution that is right for you.... ALWAYS OPEN FOR YOU Help or advice is only a phone call away. Breakdowns often happen at an inconvenient time. Here at Swan Diesel, I am ready to assist you, so you can get back to work. REASONABLE PRICES I'm committed to keep our costs as low as possible. From driving a fuel efficient work vehicle, to haggling suppliers for their best price to pass on the savings to you. I will always strive to keep costs down. See Pricing here: https://www.swandiesel.com.au/services PROFESSIONALLY QUALIFIED Certificate 3 Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology Certificate 3 Mobile Plant Technology AAC02 Automotive Air Conditioning Heavy Equipment Technician on/off road Send me a message now, if you'd like to chat about your repair needs.

06.01.2022 Organisation is key. I have always found that the key to success is organisation. It is such an easy thing to overlook, but a well organised toolbox can save easily an hour per day and many frustrating steps . Another advantage to being organised is that you lose tools less often! There are many places to buy products to help with organising. Many of these can take up real estate in an expensive tool chest. So if they don't make the exact storage you're looking for, you ca...n make it yourself! The organising part is a game of trial and error. My best recommendations are: Keep it simple, and logical Heavy tools go low and light ones up high. Keeping in mind what you use most often is best in the middle, where it is easiest to see and grab. Store like tools together. Put regularly-used sets of tools together Pack up after yourself - put the tools back where you got them from. I know at the end of the job, you just wanna get going but the job's not finished until everything's cleaned up and put away, saving you time (and frustration) on the next job. Pictured is my own crazy way to organise my service truck. I made a thin tool box and this is the inside before I joined it.

06.01.2022 Over the last few days I've been doing some work on a couple of properties up in Arcadia Valley. Working on air-conditioning, electrical diagnostics and repair, machine inspections and maintenance planning. The beauty of working at a couple of neighbouring properties, is that it allows us to split the travel costs. You can make this work for you is to ring up your neighbours and see if they need any work done and if so, give me a call. That way we can save you money. Pictured: I even got to work on something near and dear to me.

05.01.2022 "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" We have all been to a garage sale or clearing sale and seen old rusty tools. Pictured, is a flex beam style torque wrench that is a very old design. I worked at a place that had one of these in a 1 inch drive version that was approximately 65 years old. The service manager decided that he would send it out and have it checked, as he never saw it sent in all his years (40) of being with the company. When he called the testing facility they ...told him that it tested within 0.5% throughout the range! My fancy digital Snap-on is only guaranteed accurate to 2%! My point is that you don't always need to have a shiny new tool to get results. If you use tools everyday or only once in a while, having a look at places such as garage sales and pawn shops will help build your bag of tricks . Inexpensive spanners in a proper set or mismatch set are handy to collect for such situations where you need a shorter or a "custom bend" to get a job done. I have many more little tips on tools to come such as "Not all impact sockets are created equal". Stay tuned

05.01.2022 The cylinder rod Emery paper trick mentioned in the previous video.

03.01.2022 Let's talk a bit about how to help your mechanic help you better. You don't need to be a mechanically-minded person to do this. If you are just getting a service, having a 2 min chat about how the car is going is a great way to help your friendly neighbourhood mechanic identify any issues that are developing. We do like it when you bring things to our attention, as you are the one driving it everyday, and we look at dozens of problems per day, and often on multiple vehicles.... Noises are a good example, if you can tell us things like your speed, is it while pulling a load or on a certain road. It is best is if you can mimic the sound The more information we have, the easier a(and faster) it makes diagnostics. Hey, its a good thing for everyone as we can be a little more efficient with our time, and therefore, your money. I bring this topic up as I have recently had an interesting failure that had many layers of issues. After doing some testing, I was talking to the customer and I mentioned one of the things I noticed while test driving. The customer told me that they had also noticed that over a period of time. Bang just like that! I had been looking for a recent failed part and find out it was a part that had just worn out. Well there goes about 3 hours of life chasing the wrong symptoms, and now it's past cut-off time to get the new part out overnight so more lost time. So now you see, as a mechanic my best and first diagnostic tool is always you.

01.01.2022 Most large diesel engines have wet liners that use rubber O-rings to seal them. Now we use the cooling system on many machines to cool more than just the engine. This brings in various heat exchange coolers of which many are oil-to-water cooling. A recent job has reminded me to use this little gem... The job is fairly straightforward. I mean, there is oil where coolant should be and water where oil should be. There are some products that can be purchased to help clean the o...il out of the water, some are instant flush and others are left in for up to 3 months. I was taught with all these "Rules of Thumb", I remembered that the best way to clean the cooling system is to drain thoroughly and refill with just water. Now for the Trick , when the Radiator is about half full you add some dishwasher powder and finish filling. Make sure that you have bled the air from the system and leave the cap off. Start the engine and idle it up to say 1000-1200 RPM so it'll warm up. Pay attention to the heat to determine when the thermostat opens. Once this has happened, set the heat in the cab on full (the fan setting doesn't have to be high just temp setting needs to be high). A garden hose is required, and if that's not available, your patience will be tested. We are trying to achieve a steady trickle into the radiator so it continues to bubble out the top. The theory is simple, oil floats on water and therefore will work out of the top of the Rad. The dishwasher powder will help to dissolve/break up the oil in the system and bring it out. You will see when the oil stops coming out of the Rad and the system is now clean. Shut the engine down and let it cool for a while then drain it, replace the thermostat, drain block and refill with coolant. It may not sound that great but it is pretty fool proof and it works very well ( with minimal effort ) and just like a TV ad "You can see it work before your eyes!"